2004 Mazda 3 GT Sport review from North America

17 inch alloy rims - stock tires (Goodyear) are no good in the rain or snow, have very little tread life (30,000 km) and are very expensive to replace ($300/tire). They do look great though.

Faulty airbag sensor, replaced under warranty.

Door trim fell off rear passenger and driver door twice (first time replaced under warranty, second time it was blamed on driver error???)

Leaking windshield washer fluid reservoir - patched with silicone under warranty.

Driver seats squeaks badly.

Front driver window makes a creaking noise when opened and then closed from around the half way mark.

Continuous rattling from the rear of the car and the front dash board - dealer said nothing was wrong.

Rear pads and rotors replaced at 70km (a little soon if you ask me and the dealer charged way too much and scratched my car in 4 places). scratches not repaired.

Check engine light - not covered under warranty.

Big problems with the cracked plastic skid plate and stripped screws under the car... fell off on the road in the winter.

Front pads and rotors gone at 100km...why so different than the rear pads?

Clutch burnt at 102km (again really low if you ask me) I asked the dealership to look into my clutch/transmission as I noticed a lag in the shifting so I wanted it looked at. Dealer told me the drove it and found nothing. checked the odometer only to find out they hadn't driven at all (reading was the same). 13 days later, clutch gone, only 102,000 km on my car. Mazda wanted $1600 for the job, I got it done for $1100 with parts that have a lifetime warranty.

Road trip in eastern Canada, car wouldn't start and I was in an area with no cell signal, had to hitchhike into the next town to a pay phone to call CAA. Tow truck came out... starter on its way out. was able to boost the car with battery.

Slave cylinder clip cracked, clutch fluid drained out onto the floor of a ferry. had to be towed off the ferry.

Latest problem, my stereo gets all fuzzy (Static) when the rear wiper blade cleans the window.

I bought my Mazda 3 in Oct 2005 used with 23,000 kms on it. The tires that come on the sport model look great and handle on dry pavement well, but are crap in the rain and snow and the tread life is crap. Bought snows for the winter. Problem solved.

Very fun and sporty car to drive, great in the city when you're close to reliable service and towing, absolutely unreliable for road trips or any roads other than smooth pavement.

Handles very well, great choice of colours, roomy interior and great controls/dash.

Although, with all the problems I've had with the car and the company, I'll never buy Mazda again.